Grace
by Dragonsdaughter
Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. COMPLETE Modern-Day AU.
1. There's a Moon Over Baker's Street

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter One: There's a Moon Over Baker's Street Tonight

* * *

Kaoru stared up at the moon that hung low and swollen as a pregnant woman over the smoky rooftops and chimneys of London. 

She sat atop the sagging roof of a low-built tenement. Somewhere in the distance there was a dog barking, and someone played a radio too loud. She could hear the jazzy acoustics of 'Moon over Bourbon Street' straining into the thick darkness.

The chorus caught her attention and she sang softly along with it.

"… oh, you'll never see my shape, or hear the sound of my feet while there's a moon over Bourbon Street…"

She caught hold of a wiry old television antenna and leaned out over the lamp-lit street below her. It was deserted, until her keen ears picked up the sharp staccato beat of expensive shoes on cobblestone. Smiling she sang the song from memory.

"There's a Moon over Bourbon Street tonight…" her soft soprano drifted down to earth and coiled into the dense fog that blanketed the street. The footsteps slowed and halted.

Kaoru released the antenna and fell forward into the void before her, arms spread wide with acceptance. She smiled as the rush of air brushed her dark hair away from her face.

There was a single footstep that faltered and stopped as though the owner of those expensive shoes hadn't intended to take that step and had tried to reclaim it.

Fool, Kaoru thought at him, you can never take back what you've sent out.

Agile as a cat, she twisted in mid-air and landed on the pavement without so much as a whisper of sound. She rose dreamily to glide forward on bare feet. A warm breeze teased the hem of her sun dress causing the scarlet material to billow out around her thighs.

She slipped out of the alley to curl around a lamp post and beckon to that dark figure in the street. A feral grin curved on her red lips and she extended one pale arm out to the man in expensive shoes.

"I see people as they pass me in the pale lamplight…" she sang in a husky contralto.

The man in the street wasn't tall or built, but there was power in his movements. He wore a three piece suit of good cut and quality fabric, but he wore it uncomfortably. It was no stretch of the imagination to see him in faded jeans a t-shirt. His hat was low brimmed and disguised the top half of his face, but the line of his law was firm and his skin pale.

Kaoru ran her tongue over her slick white teeth and smiled at him. She deliberately cocked her hips at him in a come-hither gesture.

The man's head tilted in her direction. His eyes caught the lamplight briefly and threw gold sparks at her. He took a step in her direction and then another.

She unwrapped herself from the lamp post and padded up to him. Without asking permission, she slipped her arms around his neck and let her body mold against his.

"New in town, sweet?" she purred.

His gold eyes narrowed and one gloved hand closed around her wrist to peel her off his neck. "I'm in no mood for your games, vampire." He growled.

Kaoru's smile widened. "No games, were-man." She purred. "I'm the welcome party. It's not good for our kind to wander the streets alone at night. London is an Old Town; they know us here and how to hunt us. You should come with me to where we meet." She let her arms trickle down his chest and spun away from him. She halted a few feet away and beckoned to him with one immaculately painted fingernail. "Come on, follow me."

Without another word she slipped into the shadows of the alley from whence she came. The man hesitated until the strains of her voice came back to haunt him.

"…I've no choice but to follow that call…"

Slowly, almost unwillingly his feet turned to the shadows and he followed her into the underbelly of London.

* * *

Kenshin knew better than to follow a Vampire in her choice of terrain, but he also knew that this one had spoken truthfully. Europe was the last place in the Modern world where the humans remembered the superstitions of their forebears. On every other continent, the people had turned to more rational thinking, taking solace in numbers and dry facts to drive away the fears of the night. 

Europe had always been different even when the entire world had believed. This was where the witch burnings and the Werewolf hunts had found their genesis. Belief ran strong in the Humans, but none so strongly as those in London and the surrounding areas. Something about the dark, smoky streets made them remember a time when their species hadn't been on the top of the food chain.

He'd have never come to this city if he'd had a choice, but they knew him across seas from before his re-birth into the world of the supernatural. He'd made too many friends and too many enemies in Asia and the Americas. Europe was the last place he had left to go.

The girl who'd met him on the street flickered in and out of sight like a phantom. He could smell the unholy perfume of stolen blood that clung to her slender frame, but he could detect no taint of the undead. She'd been born a vampire, not brought over the threshold of death. That afforded her some measure of credibility, but not much.

Vampires of the true blood didn't succumb to the insanity that plagued their bastard siblings, but they fell victim to greed and deceit just as well any other creature, mortal or immortal.

He wasn't exactly sure why he'd decided to trust her. She hadn't acted trustworthy or sane, but she'd known him for what he was at a glance and hadn't used her opening of opportunity when his negligence had allowed her a shot at his throat.

As if in response to his thoughts, the darksome woman appeared out of the dense fog before him. A stark brick building loomed out of the night behind her. She flashed her fangs at him in a mischievous smile and stepped aside to reveal a low lit door built into the wall. A dim neon sign that fizzled out and then came back on displayed three sigils for Safe Haven; one in Witch Runes, another in Vampire Scriven, and the last Were Trail Marks.

"I swear upon the Accords that you have Safe Passage this night. I am Kamiya Kaoru and your enemies are mine until the sun rises." She said softly.

Kenshin inhaled sharply as she sidled up to him and slipped one slender hand around his elbow.

The door let them into a badly lit, half hearted attempt at a disco club. The music was low enough as to be barely audible and cigarette smoke replaced the heavy fog they'd just left. There were roughly four or five round tables scattered across the public room at random and a thing man who smelled of Magick tended the bar.

Few of the tables were occupied. A lone vampire sucked on an IV bag in the corner and a young witch sat by the bar and cast oracle bones for a Swan mane. The were-swan looked up and tensed as he entered, but relaxed as soon as her eyes flicked over Kaoru's face. The witch along with her cast a disinterested look over her shoulder and nodded deferentially to the Vampiress.

A soft growl built up in the room, drawing Kenshin's attention to the last knot of customers. A small pack of werewolves stared at him from their table under the window, hackles raised to a man. Kaoru favored them with a dazzling smile, deliberately flashing fang in a silent warning. The growl subsided.

It wasn't over. The apparent alpha of the pack pushed himself to his feet and prowled across the floor to block Kenshin's path. He noted that the wolf deliberately stayed out of the smaller woman's path.

He was perhaps the tallest man Kenshin had ever met. His hair was soft brown and stuck out at all angles, held back only by a red bandanna. Kenshin noticed that the entire pack sported similar headpieces.

"What have you brought home, Kaoru?" He asked in a deceptively mild tone. His eyes never left Kenshin's although he addressed Kaoru.

"I found him wandering the streets." She shrugged. "I thought he might need a Sponsor. Do you have a problem with that, Sanosuke Sagara?"

Sanosuke broke eye contact to stare at Kaoru in disbelief. "You're sponsoring him?"

She grinned unrepentantly and let Kenshin's arm go. "Funny, coming from you," she purred and began to circle Sanosuke.

There werewolf's eyes followed her as she flanked him, but he made no move to avoid her when she pounced on his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. He turned his attention back to Kenshin and held out a hand.

"She vouches for you so you've got mates to run with if you want them." He offered. "I'm Sanosuke Sagara of the Sekihoutai Wolf Pack."

Kenshin stared at the proffered hand. With one hand he carefully removed his hat, letting his long red hair spill down his back. He'd pinned it up before he'd even left his old apartment in Tokyo. His hair was too identifiable with its shade and length, but he couldn't bring himself to cut it off or dye it.

"I am Kenshin Himura." He introduced himself, careful to phrase his name in the western fashion as he took Sanosuke's hand and gave what he hoped passed for a firm hand shake in the were community. His kind was solitary by nature, unlike the pack-oriented wolves.

Sanosuke nodded with approval as they shook hands. He stepped away as he released Kenshin and nodded towards his table and pack. "Sit with us." He returned to his seat without waiting for Kenshin to follow. Kaoru slipped down from his back and hopped into his lap when he sat down.

Kenshin took a seat beside him, careful to keep Kaoru within his sight. He wasn't sure what Sanosuke had meant when he'd named Kaoru as his 'Sponsor', but it had defused a potentially lethal situation faster than love, money, or drugs.

"Your name is Asian, Mr. Sagara, are you from Japan as well?" Kenshin let his elbows rest on the table. He ignored the scummy film that covered the surface. He could afford the cleaning bill.

Sanosuke snorted, but nodded just the same. "I'm a half-breed that way. My mother married a Japanese man, but she was too much for him. When I was six she took me and split for the States. I left when I was a kid, but I've still got the language if that's what you mean?"

Kenshin shook his head. "No, my English is good enough. It was curiosity, nothing more."

"So what brings you to Merry Old England, Mr. Himura?" A scrawny punk spoke up from behind his glass of dark beer. His mannerisms bordered on foul, but Kenshin sensed genuine sympathy in his speech.

"I was only recently changed." He said by way of explanation. He had little to hide. His story was common enough. "I had too many acquaintances in Asia and the Americas, so Europe was my last choice and I thought it would be a shame to not see London before I found a place to settle."

Sanosuke nodded soberly. "It's probably best that you did. The supernatural communities are pretty close-knit on this continent. We don't take well to strangers; there are too many Hunters in this country."

Just then the vampire in the corner sat up and signaled to Kaoru, who slid off Sanosuke's lap. She dropped a sisterly kiss on Kenshin's cheek as she passed. "I won't be far. Call me if you need something, kay?"

The Sekihoutai burst into laughter, but Kenshin turned to watch her glide across the room towards the corner table following the waft of jasmine perfume that followed in her wake. Funny, but he hadn't realized before that moment that she was barefoot. Her short scarlet dress drifted around her knees occasionally lifting to show a glimpse of slender thigh. Long, glossy black hair flowed down her back in magazine smooth waves. She walked on the balls of her feet, which lent grace to her movements and hushed the sound of her steps.

The warlock behind the bar laid out a pouch of blood, which she picked up as she passed. Her sapphire eyes glimmered in the dim light of the bar as she paid for it with a wink. Sanosuke's eyes followed Kenshin's hand as he ran his knuckles thoughtfully over the place where Kaoru had dropped her playful kiss.

"I wouldn't read too much into it," Sanosuke eyed the vampire over his beer glass. "She's like that with everyone and it all means about the same."

"Be fair, Sano." A long haired were spoke up from behind his alpha. Kenshin noticed the way the other members except Sano deferred to him and silently marked him as Sano's beta. "You're making her sound like a slut." He turned to Kenshin, "What my esteemed leader means to say in his blundering manner is that Mademoiselle Kaoru is equally disinterested in us all, but she's still very affectionate as long as you remember that you're 'just friends'."

"Stow it, Katsu!" Sano growled, but the reprimand rolled right off his beta's back.

A hollow crack reverberated through the room, interrupting all conversation. Kenshin turned his attention back to Kaoru just in time to see the vampire who'd summoned her fall to the grimy bar floor with his neck bent at an unnatural angle.

Kaoru stood over his inert body idly sucking on her pouch of blood. The witch and the swanmane who'd been involved in the bone reading earlier were huddled behind her. They peered anxiously around her slender body at the incapacitated vampire.

"It there a problem, Ladies?" The warlock spoke up from behind his countertop.

"Not anymore," Kaoru replied smoothly and turned to guide the girls behind her back to their table where the Witch's oracle bones still lay scattered across their velvet blanket.

"Who is she?" Kenshin addressed his question to Sanosuke, but it was Katsu who answered.

"Good question. Wish I knew." He tossed back a swallow of his drink. "No one knows for sure, although everyone knows her."

"Kaoru is one of the few living vampires in this city who isn't a lackey for the Blood Council." Sanosuke explained. "Most of the blood-suckers in town are changed Undead or Living vampires who crossed over to Death for one reason or another. She doesn't nest with any of them for that matter. Kaoru's the only vamp I ever heard of who sleeps alone. How'd you meet her, much less get her to sponsor you?"

"I met her in the street." Kenshin spoke slowly, fully aware how weak the truth sounded. "She gave me a hug and told me it wasn't safe to walk alone at night. At first I thought she was a prostitute, then I smelt her other nature. She brought me here."

Sanosuke chuckled. "That's sounds random enough to be true." He grabbed a handful of pretzels from one of the bowls on the table. "She's always pulling stunts like that. Kaoru'd be considered a vigilante in London if she wasn't so disinterested in the every day crap. Really, she's got her own motives although damned if anyone else understands them until a long time after the fact. Rumor is that she's over four hundred years old, but she prances around like she's as crazy as an Undead. The only thing that you can really count on is that if she shows up too often, then a big change is on the way."

"Should I be afraid?" Kenshin leaned back into his chair. His bangs fell forward to hide his eyes, but Sanosuke saw that they'd changed from a gentle violet to hard-edged gold.

Sanosuke shook his head. "Nah, you were just in the right place at the right time. She's pretty capricious, but she's pledged to guard your back until dawn. Do us all a favor and stay out of trouble. Things tend to blow up when Kaoru feels threatened."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Kaoru chose then to return to the company. This time she chose Katsu's lap and started to braid his long hair. For his part, Katsu seemed unperturbed. When he caught Kenshin watching he grinned. "She likes my hair."

Things progressed in companionable semi-silence from there. Kenshin collected some telephone numbers from the Sekihoutai and received an invitation to their next howl at the quarter moon. Kaoru switched laps until she'd given everyone a cuddle except Kenshin, but he was all right with that. Katsu hadn't gotten off with braids alone. Kaoru had curled the ends with her finger and tied them off with some ribbons she'd produced from a pocket. By four a.m. Kaoru started shooting glances at the shaded windows and Kenshin took that as a cue to say his good-byes.

When he stood, Kaoru was on his arm again. They left the bar amidst a cloud of hoots, whistles, and catcalls. As they left, Kenshin noticed the Witch and the Swanmane going to sit with the Sekihoutai.

"They'll be fine." Kaoru murmured in his ear. "Sanosuke's wolves always take them home.

"Odd." Kenshin observed. "The swanmane is a prey creature."

"The Sekihoutai all have strong beasts, but they are in control. They know that real prey doesn't walk on two legs." Kaoru released his arm. "Do you require an escort to where you are staying?"

Kenshin smiled at the implied courtesy in her offer. He could say no and then she wouldn't have to know where his den was for the moment. It was considerate of her, especially since he suspected that her status as his Sponsor gave her certain privileges concerning his day life.

"I'm staying at the Grosvenor House Hotel by Hyde Park. I'd be honored if you accompanied me." He made a half bow and offered her his arms his time. If she was really as old as Sanosuke implied, then the old world courtesy might appeal to her.

Sure enough a smile flickered across her face to be quickly replaced by the dreamy one she normally wore. Kenshin didn't doubt for a moment which one was real.

Finding a cab had been murder, but eventually Kaoru had flashed some leg and flagged one down.

"I thought that only worked in the movies." Kenshin commented as they got in.

"Inspiration must have a source." Kaoru replied.

The cab let them off in front of Kenshin's hotel and Kaoru gazed on the starlit expanse of Hyde Park as he paid the driver.

"Do you need the cab to get home before dawn?" Kenshin asked quietly before he let the cab go. There was no reply.

When he turned around, she was gone.

* * *

Kaoru watched from a nearby rooftop as Kenshin entered his lodgings. She'd done her duty as his sponsor. He now had local contacts and had survived his first night in Town. Once he disappeared from sight, she toasted him with an imaginary wineglass. 

"Welcome to London, Mr. Himura, may it never be the same!"

* * *

Weeks passed and eventually the help of the Sekihoutai, Kenshin settled into a modest apartment in Wapping on the Riverfront. A lifetime spent carefully cultivating an impressive stock portfolio guaranteed that he'd never have to worry about money for the rest of his life. He was officially retired. 

Kenshin spent his time exploring his new home. The first month he happily spent as a tourist. He saw Big Ben, Vauxhall, Madame Tussaud's Waxwork Museum, and a million other places he'd only read about in his previous existence as a bland entrepreneur. When the quarter moon came, he gladly participated in the Sekihoutai's tribute to their Lunar Goddess even though he shared none of their lupine traits. At home, he quietly explored his relationship with the Earth Mother and Sky Father.

As his mentor in Japan had promised, he grew comfortable with the powers and responsibilities that came with his changed existence. His inner beast demanded sensation and excitement, but he was learning when to give in and when not to.

He'd lived in London for a total of two months before he heard word of Kamiya Kaoru.

That night, Kenshin joined Sanosuke and Katsu at a steak and ale pub they'd been raving about. The ale was thick, dark and strong, and the steaks were almost two inches thick. When Kenshin cut into his he found it practically raw… perfect.

Katsu's cell rang in the middle of dinner. He left the table to answer it while Kenshin and Sanosuke continued to give their respective meals the proper amount of respect. Unfortunately, Katsu came storming back a few moments later with a proclamation that killed Kenshin's appetite.

"Yukishiro's trying to kill Kaoru again." The werewolf sighed as he slumped back into his seat. He gazed forlornly at his steak.

Sanosuke snorted and took another bite. "You'd think he'd have learned better by now."

"I think I've missed something," Kenshin set his utensils down. "Who is this Yukishiro and why is he trying to kill Kaoru? Furthermore, why don't you care?"

"Enishi Yukishiro is one of the rising stars in Vamp politics." Katsu tucked his cell phone back into his pocket. "He's a changed Vampire, one of the Undead, not like Kaoru. He's one of the few vampires who survived the change with his mind intact or at least everyone thinks so. We've seen signs of something else. He and Kaoru have been butting heads ever since he was brought into the Blood Council as a Junior Attendant."

"Why does he want her dead?"

"He's after her because Kaoru has a Council Seat believe it or not, and she sees right through him. For Enishi to gain a seat and a vote on the Blood Council, he has to be accepted in with a unanimous vote, which he'd have if it weren't for Kaoru." Katsu frowned. "If he kills Kaoru then there's a seat open and waiting for him."

Kenshin stood and threw his napkin on the table. He took out his wallet and tossed down enough cash to cover his meal and part of the tip. "Do you know where I can find, Miss Kamiya?" he asked as he shrugged into his jacket.

* * *

Kaoru had been running for a week and a half. In that time she had neither slept, ate, nor stopped for any length of time worth mentioning. 

She knew who was after her. After all, it was hardly the first time Enishi had taken it into his mind to end her life. Normally she'd have had a wonderful time leading her trackers in circles all over the city before leaving them in small bite-sized pieces at Enishi's back door.

This time it was different.

She was under pursuit day and night. The attacks came in shifts and when they weren't trying to put a stake in her heart, they were scaring off any humans she might have been able to feed upon. All her normal hide-outs were either staked out or destroyed and she didn't dare contact any of her tentative allies.

Kaoru's last safe place was an abandoned chapel near the riverfront on the bad side. Enishi's vampires couldn't cross hallowed ground, neither could the sort of Witches he'd be able to hire, but were-creatures could.

Somehow Enishi had made a pact with a local tribe of were-rats. It was from them that Kaoru faced the most danger. She was a living vampire and as such she was susceptible to the bacteria in their saliva. A were-rat's spit contained twice the virulent bacteria than a komodo dragon's! One bite and she'd die of infection within half an hour.

The chapel had no gas or electricity. For that matter it had little in the way of insulation. Kaoru huddled in the belfry, using the fallen bell as a wind-break. The cold November wind tore through the threadbare blanket she'd managed to scavenge from the downstairs rooms.

Hypothermia was a kinder death than a were-rat's bite, but Kaoru found little comfort in that. She held onto life with relentless determination. When her eyelids grew heavy she pinched arm and reminded herself of those who would only suffer if Enishi Yukishiro came to power.

The Blood Council convened in two days. After that they would not meet for another fifty years. If Kaoru could just hold out that long, she would have done her duty. Enishi wouldn't be able to hold his frayed illusion of sanity that long. Already he was descending into true madness.

Two days, she had to survive for two more days.


	2. On Hallowed Ground

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Two: On Hallowed Ground

* * *

"I thought you said no one knows where Kaoru sleeps!" Kenshin had to yell into the wind to make his voice heard over the roar of Sanosuke's motorcycle. They tore through Blackfriars at near sonic speeds. Kenshin rode behind Sanosuke with his arms wrapped around the other man's waist. Katsu had his own bike and he followed at a more leisurely and legal speed somewhere back in King's Cross.

"They don't!" Sano hollered back. "I have a good idea where she'd go though, if Katsu's information was right and Yukishiro's going after her during the day too!"

As they continued on, Kenshin began to realize what Sanosuke had meant. They were on the Thames now, close to large amounts free running water. Most supernatural creatures couldn't abide by it. Undead Vampires and Black Witches couldn't even get near it. Kenshin didn't have a problem with it and neither did Sanosuke.

Unfortunately the Riverfront covered a large amount of territory, but Sanosuke seemed to have a definite point in mind. The pulled up in front of a ramshackle church.

Sanosuke put down the kickstand and killed his engine. "My pack has heard rumors that the Were-rats have been unusually active around this area. One of Kaoru's pet witches noticed that they've attacked this place at least twice. A Cleric priest once lived here and put up some fairly powerful wards, so they've been repelled each time."

Kenshin hopped down from the bike. Sanosuke un-strapped two long narrow bundles from the saddlebags and handed one to Kenshin. The package opened to reveal a wickedly curved blade and gleamed pale in the moonlight. Kenshin carefully tested the edge and hissed when it burned his finger.

"Careful." Sanosuke warned him. "The metal has a high silver content."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kenshin sheathed his blade and shrugged into the bandoleer it came with. When he tested the draw it came out smoothly over his shoulder. Sanosuke crept up the front doors, careful to keep to the shadows. Kenshin took the other side, ready to defend his friend in case of attack.

White ward glyphs lit up around the edges of the doorframe as they approached. Kenshin held his bare hand up to one and it glimmered orange as it tested him. Kenshin felt an odd ruffling in his aura, as though his spirit was a book and the ward was skimming through it. After a moment, the glyph changed to a cool blue and they all faded away.

Kenshin shook his head to clear the remaining vestiges of the glyph. "We're acceptable." He muttered. "Those wards are strong although they haven't been maintained in years. The priest must have been strong in his faith. What happened to him?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "I think a demon ate him."

* * *

Kaoru heard the floorboards creak in the distance. She sat up and listened hard. The wards were still active. She could feel their protection wrapped around her like a mother's embrace.

Male voices drifted through the air to greet her sensitive ears. One voice she'd have recognized anywhere. "Oh, Sano." She breathed, unsure whether to be glad he'd come or terrified that he'd be hurt.

Either way, she wouldn't hide from him. Kaoru stood and let the blanket fall. For better or for worse, her friends had come for her.

She slid down the bell-pull and landed silently on the landing below. Quietly she crept through the corridors until she could feel Sanosuke's aura burning in the darkness like a guy fawkes doll. It was funny, but she'd remembered him being dimmer than that.

He was probably angry or wired up for a fight. That would explain the intensity of his aura. No one burned brighter than Sanosuke, although there was a second person with him who came close. It was probably Katsu.

Then a voice she barely knew and would never have expected in a million years rang through the darkness.

"Miss Kamiya, are you here?"

Kaoru swayed on her feet in shock. Of all people… perhaps Enishi wasn't being paranoid at all. Maybe he'd seen something she hadn't.

"I'm here." She managed to school her voice into some resemblance of normalcy. She stepped out of the corridor and into the room where she'd sensed his aura.

Kenshin Himura stood beside Sanosuke and not Katsu. Of course, if she hadn't identified his voice she might not have recognized him. Gone was the expensive suit and concealing hat. He wore an ankle length leather duster over black jeans and a thick gray woolen. He wore boots that had only just been broken in and showed scruffs from motorcycling.

Even his hair was different. Before it had lain flat and smooth, now the thick stuff fought against the leather thong he'd used to tie it back. Moreover, his entire demeanor had changed. He was charged with energy and his eyes had gained a surprising intensity. They were gold now instead of the violet she recalled.

Mr. Himura had settled in with his beast very well and it showed.

Sanosuke pushed past Kenshin to pick Kaoru up and give her a rib cracking hug. She smiled wanly and tried to show some enthusiasm. Hastily she cast a glamourie over herself to keep them from noticing the ravages the past week had played on her.

As usual, Sanosuke didn't even notice, but Kenshin looked at her oddly with a little worry wrinkle on his brow as if something were bothering him.

"Moon's blood, Kaoru, you're like ice!" Sanosuke wrestled out of his jacket and wrapped it around her. Then he pulled her up against his chest to share his body warmth. "Have you eaten since you got in here?"

Kaoru shook her head, but didn't pull away from Sanosuke's warm body. She hadn't realized until now just how cold she'd become.

"We'll get some IV packs from McNally's." Kenshin said, naming the pub where Kaoru had taken him on his first night in London. He looked Kaoru over, his eyes lingered on her dress, the same one she had that night and her bare feet. "We'll take her to my place. I have a spare bedroom where she can stay."

"What's wrong with my place," Sanosuke wanted to know. "She'll have the entire Sekihoutai to watch her back."

Kenshin eyed him coldly. "Your house is invested with fleas and so are you for that matter."

"So?" Sanosuke groused as he scratched behind his ear. "She's crashed on my couch before and never complained."

"Enishi knows where you live." Kaoru pointed out.

Sanosuke had no answer to that one. So when Katsu arrived, Kaoru went home with Kenshin.

* * *


	3. Strangers in the Night

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Three: Strangers in the Night

* * *

Sanosuke stayed for a little while, mostly quizzing Kaoru about Enishi's reasons for going after her this time. She was deliberately vague. After all she knew Kenshin was eavesdropping on their conversation.

She knew precisely why Enishi was so desperate to kill her and for once her seat on the Council was only part of the reason. It was a secret she'd carry to the grave if she had to, but for one reason or another, the Junior Attendant was terrified of London's newest resident.

Not that she blamed him. Kenshin Himura was going to be a major player one day whether he intended to or not. These first months in London would play a major factor in who he sided with.

Kaoru had known what was coming the moment she'd laid eyes on a certain young man wandering the streets at night without fear. She hadn't expected him to show such a complete lack of ambition, but that was really for the best. There was plenty of it going around.

That was why she'd set him up with Sanosuke and the Sekihoutai, the only were-pack in the city ignorant enough to befriend him solely on his personal merits rather than his potential power. They were perhaps the only people in London that Kenshin could have ever counted on to never backstab him.

Before Sanosuke left for the night, Kaoru gave him a hug at the door. It was a real hug this time, laden with true concern and worry. She'd also directed Kenshin to the Sekihoutai for Sano's safety as well. One day his big mouth was going to get him in over his head and he needed a strong right arm to haul him out of it.

"Be careful," she whispered. "Don't do anything foolish, I have enough to worry about without adding you to it all."

Sanosuke nodded curtly. "I'll be good, Jo-chan." His voice was as quiet as hers. He knelt down to speak in her ear. "Be gentle with him, all right? He's going through 'the phase'."

Kaoru blushed, but nodded. 'The Phase' was the Sekihoutai's crude way of referring to someone who had a crush on Kaoru. She'd been through it with every member including Sanosuke and she still wasn't sure he was over it.

She wasn't entirely sure why it kept happening only that it did. She supposed part of the problem was her behavior, but it couldn't be the entire cause. Usually the pack puppies that'd fallen victim to The Phase were content to worship from afar. Once or twice she'd tried to cultivate something more, maybe out of boredom or loneliness, but they'd never cooperated.

Kenshin was certainly not suffering from The Phase if only because he was doing anything but 'worshiping from afar'. The Phase involved blushes, stammering, and random fits of jealousy. The day she saw Kenshin Himura blush would be the day she signed her Council Seat over to Enishi free and clear!

"I'll play nice." Kaoru promised as the elevators doors closed between her and Sanosuke.

"It's getting close to sunrise." Kenshin's voice came from just behind her. She turned to find him watching her with the strangest expression. "You should probably rest now.

Kaoru had an insane urge to cuddle up to his chest and pull that infuriating elastic out of his hair. She wanted to see it loose and wild around his shoulders. It would be fun to run her fingers through it too, but she squashed the urge. She couldn't afford complications right now, and Kenshin was complication embodied.

"Thank you." She demurred and started towards the bedroom. Behind her Kenshin started to reach for her, but abruptly stopped when she stilled on the threshold of the guest room.

"Kenshin," she called over her shoulder. "There's a window in here. It faces west."

She heard him swore violently and a second later he was behind her again, leaning into the room to examine the culpable windowpane. It was dressed in a sheer layer of blue gauze, intended to flutter aesthetically in the breeze. Furthermore the window took up a large part of the wall so pinning a blanket over it wasn't an option.

"I hope you don't mind sharing a bed." He sighed.

Kaoru let him pull her out into the hall. He closed the door behind them. She understood what he meant. The room was a security nightmare. True, she'd seen the protective wards etched into the edges of the window glass, but wards wouldn't stop a line-of-sight spell.

The living room wasn't much of an option either. The drapes were heavier, but they still didn't keep the light out. While she wasn't undead and wouldn't turn to ashes under the sunlight, Kaoru didn't feel much like waking up with a third-degree sunburn.

"It seems I don't have a choice." She replied, careful not to look at him so she wouldn't have to see the sparkle in his eyes.

* * *

Kenshin was glad he'd taken the time to tidy up his bedroom while Kaoru was bathing. It was still far from immaculate, but at least she wouldn't wonder if there was anything growing under the layer of discarded clothing.

There were no windows in the room since Kenshin absolutely couldn't sleep with light in his eyes. There was even weather stripping around the edges of his door. In retrospect, Kenshin realized that he probably should have offered this room instead of the guest room, but he hadn't been thinking about it clearly.

The bed was a queen-size with plenty of room for two people. The sheets and blankets were snarled from where he'd neglected to make it up after a series of nightmares he'd had a few days ago.

Just the memory of his bad dreams made Kenshin tense up. It was a good thing he hadn't remembered them while Kaoru had been in his head. He'd just a soon she didn't find out about the person he'd been before his change. The memory was bad enough.

Kenshin lingered by the door as Kaoru strolled through his bedroom taking stock of what she saw. She didn't say anything or look at him, but he noticed the way her eyes lingered over the framed photographs on his bureau and on the few knick-knacks he'd accumulated during his travels.

He had no idea why he was so nervous. There was nothing embarrassing or criminal there for her to see, but deep down he feared that if she saw the mementoes of his previous life then she'd realize how bland and colorless it had been… and how he might still be. He literally had not lived before his mentor had given him his beast.

It wasn't so long ago when Kenshin wouldn't have been able to appreciate this beautiful, sensuous and complicated woman before him. He'd have dismissed her on the street as a homeless prostitute and gone on his way secure in his own cold little world. He'd never loved before his Change nor had he hated. He'd spent his life going through the motions of becoming 'successful' and 'desired', but he'd never enjoyed that success or desired anyone else in turn.

His relationships had all been business transactions going both ways. With women he'd satisfied his physical urges and in turn compensated them for their time by being the 'generous rich boyfriend'. Emotions had never really entered into it. They'd both always gotten exactly what they wanted from the relationship.

Never before had he wanted to touch a woman just to see the heat in her eyes or to feel the smooth texture of her skin. He'd never wanted to pick her up a spin her out of sheer exultation nor had he wanted to kiss her because she was so damn cute.

Now Kamiya Kaoru was the antithesis of every woman he'd ever met. When he'd first seen her he'd thought she was a prostitute, but now he wondered if it wasn't the women he known before who were the real whores.

Kenshin had never been afraid before in his life, but now he found he was. He was afraid that he was still only seeing a fraction of the real picture and feeling a fraction of what others felt. He feared that this adrenaline-rush of a woman would find him dull.

The bedspring creaked under Kaoru's weight distracting Kenshin from his thoughts. His mouth went dry as he watched her stretch her slim legs down the length of his bed. The white dress shirt he'd lent her twisted around her waist and rode up her hips. Kenshin squeezed his eyes shut in a half-hearted attempt stifle his body's automatic reaction. No woman should be that sexy without even trying.

A soft snore pulled his attention back to the woman in his bed… the sleeping woman.

Kenshin squatted by the bed and listened to the rhythm of her breathing. Oh yeah, she was out like a light. He snorted and shook his head.

'Real smooth, Himura,' he reproached himself. 'What did you expect?'

He hopped to his feet and went to go rummage through his drawers for his pajama pants. His back was turned so he missed the sapphire glimmer beneath Kaoru's lashes. By the time he'd changed and turned around her eyes were closed again.

* * *


	4. Waking Sleeping Beauty

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Four: Waking Sleeping Beauty

* * *

Kenshin was on his feet the second he smelled the foreign magic in his home. Its scent was sickly sweet and carried the metallic tang of blood: Faerie Magic of the bad kind. Worse, the smell was coming from the guest room!

When he reached her, Kaoru was collapsed on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. Her skin was icy cold when he touched her cheek. Something had cast a stasis spell on her.

There was nothing at the window when Kenshin checked. The Faerie had probably run as soon as the foul deed was done. It wasn't in their nature to stay and make sure their mission was completely successfully, especially if they'd been bound by a mortal. Yukishiro was desperate indeed if he was making deals with the Unseileigh Court. Even so, it was a wasted effort.

Satisfied that there was no more danger, Kenshin gathered Kaoru into his arms and carried her into his own bedroom where he could rest assured that they wouldn't be interrupted as he broke the spell.

Before leaving Japan, Kenshin's old mentor had drilled him ruthlessly on the magical arts. He'd never be a full wizard, but he would never be an easy victim.

There were seven Realms of Magick: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Life, and Death. Each realm had two forms. Stasis spells were Water magic of the Ice variety. It was the most basic of Faerie Spells and also one of the most famous, being responsible for Faerie Tales such as 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Snow White'. By nature they trapped a victim in their 'cold' thoughts and feelings simulating catatonia. It was actually very easy to break once you knew how. One simply had to stimulate 'hot' feelings in the victim to counteract the 'cold' ones.

In the Old Tales 'True Love's First Kiss' was always enough to break the spell, but that only worked in the case of a sheltered virginal Princess. Kaoru on the other hand had deeper sorrows to remember and would require something a little stronger.

Kenshin kicked the tangled sheets and blankets off his bed and settled Kaoru down in their place. After a moment's thought he turned up the thermostat and removed her bathrobe. Underneath she still wore his dress shirt. He paused a moment to stifle his rage at Yukishiro and then slowly undid the snaps.

Kaoru's body was far from perfect. Her skin was pale from lack of sun and she had a great many scars from old wounds that had healed badly. Kenshin found claw marks on her belly, old burns on her legs, and what looked like the stab wound from a stake in the muscle of her shoulder. She was a little on the thin side and her hands were calloused from centuries of work.

No, Kamiya Kaoru wasn't perfect… she was _better_.

Kenshin stripped out of his own clothes without taking his eyes off her slender frame laid out before him like a feast. This wasn't the way he'd envisioned their first time together, but he'd take what he could get. After all, there was no way in hell he was going to let anyone else touch her like this.

He knew her defenses would be strong even when she was spellbound, he'd gone up against them before when she'd pulled away after feeding on him. If he'd had to match his own skills against them then he doubted he could have breached her mind without damaging her, but fortunately for them both Kaoru had a weakness.

His beast came willingly to his call, knowing perhaps what was at stake. Colors took on a bright edge as he let a little of his other self filter through his body. It was difficult to stay half changed, but Kenshin held doggedly onto his razor sharp claws as he used them to slice through the flesh of his chest.

Once the damage was done, Kenshin pulled back from his beast and for once it went quietly. It took an effort of will to keep his wound from closing up in the wake of its departure, but he managed it.

Lying down on the bed, Kenshin hauled Kaoru up on top of him and touched her mouth to his bleeding wound. Just as he'd predicted her barriers dropped and her instincts took over. He closed his eyes and let her past his own.

Almost immediately he realized what Kaoru had meant when she'd said that their interaction before had been abnormal. This time she took dominance from the beginning and he had to struggle to keep from succumbing to the wash of artificial serenity that she pushed on him.

He retaliated by gathering his feelings for her and pushed back.

Kaoru's presence in his mind faltered and for the first time he actually felt her take notice of him. She stopped trying to make him submit and responded to his wordless display with a tentative return.

For a second, Kenshin was overwhelmed by the welter of images in his head, but slowly he began to sort them out. He saw Kaoru watching him walk down that dark street, felt her appreciation of his lean form. When she rapped her arms around his neck he could smell his own cologne from Kaoru's point of view: spicy, rich, and completely male.

He saw the night in McNally's from her point of view. He saw himself watching from across the table, secure in his own power and fascinated by her. Her felt her falter under the attention so unlike what she received from day to day. He even experienced her silent battle for control against her mounting obsession with his hair.

Kenshin responded with the image of her lying on his bed, dwarfed by his shirt, and looking far too cute and sexier than any woman had a right to be. Almost immediately he received an image of himself from the back as he underdressed.

A burning sensation on his chest brought him crashing back into his body. He lay still for a moment, trying to orient himself until he registered the rasp of Kaoru's tongue over his chest wound. Somehow they'd got turned around and Kaoru was on the bottom now with her legs comfortably wrapped around his hips. She'd licked his wound closed.

She looked up at him, eyes clear and focused, and licked a bit of his blood off the corner of her mouth. "That was…creative." She said huskily. "A warm bath would have done it. It was only a Red Cap."

Kenshin flushed despite himself. "It was gone by the time I got there. I didn't want to take chances."

Kaoru smiled and pulled him down for a kiss. "I'm not complaining. Quite the opposite in fact, I preferred it to a bath." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she ground her hips against his in one drawn out sensuous movement. "There are parts of you making promises. Care to deliver?"

"Oh, I'll do more than that." He growled and attacked.

* * *

Aoshi Shinomori was having a very _bad_ day.

First he'd received simultaneous requests of assassination from two different clients, both old business and well respected, but unfortunately on each other. Aoshi had had to politely turn them both down and neither had taken it well.

Furthermore, he'd received multiple demands from Yukishiro to have Kamiya Kaoru terminated… again. He'd yet to reply to any since he couldn't come up with a way to phrase 'no' that didn't sound like he was laughing in Yukishiro's face. Although as time wore on, Aoshi began to wonder if that wasn't the only way to reply.

Aoshi hadn't gotten as far as he had in his short life by being stupid and taking on a Vampiress easily five times his age was one of the stupidest things he could think of. Even if he were that dumb he still wouldn't have gone after Kamiya. She was chaos embodied: impossible to predict. It'd be like signing his own death warrant and showing up at the execution block with his neck washed.

He hadn't brought his Oniwabanshuu this far just to die now.

As the date for the Blood Council neared things just got stranger. A great deal of it was predictable, after all Yukishiro had been trying to kill Kaoru almost from the moment he'd crossed over Life into Undeath. It was nothing new, nothing interesting, but the frenzied way he was going about it now was.

Aoshi had always wondered if the Junior Attendant had been faking his competance and now it seemed he was.

It was rare for a human's mind to survive the transition through Death, although not unheard of. Usually… pieces were lost along the way; important pieces like self control. Whether or not a Vampire came out crazy had a great deal to do with the person they'd been when they were alive and if they'd had something strong enough to hold onto when they changed.

Aoshi himself was one of the rare vampires who'd made the change successfully. He didn't credit his will power for that or any other saving grace. He'd just been too stupid and stubborn to realize how hopeless it all was. For that matter, he still was.

There was a framed photograph on his desk that had been face-down for five years, ever since he'd learned of her disappearance. All his power brought to bear and it had turned up nothing. She was gone.

That photograph represented every failure in his life that he'd yet to atone for.

With an effort of will, Aoshi shook of his maudlin thoughts and keyed up his e-mail account on the sleek laptop that graced the ebony desk of his office. There were no new requests, but somehow a Porn spider had gotten his address and there were thirteen new bits of spam to delete. Aoshi made a mental note to have Hanya look into it and destroy whoever was responsible.

Just as he started to close the browser, his cell phone rang in his pocket. Aoshi slipped it out and flipped it open.

It was Hanya.

"Report." He answered shortly.

"I've received the intelligence files you requested." Hanya stated from the other end. "There something here that might interest you."

* * *


	5. Silver Chains and Shadows

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Five: Silver Chains and Shadows

* * *

Misao rolled out the Shadow Realm and landed in the broom closet at Akabeko. A second later, Tsubame opened the door with a smile to help her up.

"I thought you'd be dropping by." The young clairvoyant chirped.

The young vampire accepted the hand up with a tired grin. The Shadow Realm always knocked the wind out of her.

The Café was closed down for the night and in the back break room Tae had the shades drawn and a pouch of blood warmed and ready for her. Tsubame draped a blanket around Misao's shoulders and guided her to the couch.

Tae didn't say a word, but that was nothing new. Misao felt her knock politely at the outermost barriers of her mind and she obediently dropped the first few layer of her shields so that Tae could read her short term memory.

The telepath hummed softly as she sifted through Misao's thoughts and reactions then settled back in her chair and nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for him." She promised. "Tsubame drew the bath and Yahiko is waiting upstairs. Come down later and we'll cut your hair."

Misao nodded. As usual, Tae was all business. The haircut would change her features enough to deter any image-related spells he might bring to bear. If he had name-magic powerful enough to use on her then he'd have done it to bring her out of the Shadow Realm instead of screaming melodramatically.

Tsubame led her up the stairs and waited outside the bathroom door while Misao stripped. With the ease of long practice, the young girl caught Misao's soiled clothes as she tossed them out the door.

"Thank you, Tsubame!" she called out and heard Tsubame murmured something unintelligible in reply. It sounded like 'you're welcome' so Misao took it that way.

The bath was piping hot and banished the remaining chill of the Shadow Realm from her soul. Misao sat in it for a long time idly sucking on her blood before she got down to the serious business of washing.

First she scoured her skin until the bath water turned gray. Then she drained the back and turned on the shower. She soaped up, rinsed clean, and then unbraided her hair. Twenty-two years had gone into the growth of her hair and now even when braided it hit the back of her calves. It took a lot of shampoo to wash it clean, but Misao was used to it.

When she was done she left her hair unbraided and wrapped up in one of the fluffy bathrobes Tae kept for her 'refugees' as the telepath affectionately referred to the motley trio of Kaoru, Misao, and Yahiko. Misao stifled a sigh at the memory of Kaoru.

The Elder Vampiress had been there for Misao when no one else was, not even her closest friends. It had been Kaoru who'd given Misao a shot a survival when a group of Vampire bikers had chosen her for their Blood Sport, which was when a nest of Vampires stalked a single human and drove them crazy with fear before changing them halfway and making them into a ghoul.

Ghouls were more animal than human, all instinct and the need to feed. They haunted abandoned cemeteries and fed on the corpses there or the occasional visitor dumb enough to visit after dark.

Misao shuddered at the hellish days that had predated her meeting with Kaoru in a dingy bar in Surrey. She'd had to run away from home, lest her tormentors attack her family and friends. Now that she had some years under her belt, she realized it had been purest luck that the vampires had been too stupid or too crazy to have thought of that before she did.

She wasn't stupid, she knew that the only reason she hadn't ended up just as crazy or as stupid was because Kaoru had gently eased her through every stage of her transformation. She'd never been allowed to forget the things she had to live for.

Kaoru had become a mother of sorts to Misao in place of the one that had died at her birth. Kaoru had taught Misao how to live cleanly as an Undead and just plain how to _live_. Misao had never appreciated the stars in the night sky or the neon noir of downtown when the parties started.

When she'd been alive, Misao had been a reluctant student with a chip on her shoulder the size of the Rock of Gibraltar. She'd gotten stuck in the 'rebellious stage' and spent most of her time skipping classes and smoking things best left unnamed. That was how she'd drawn the attention of those Vampires. If she'd been in school, she'd probably be safely skipping out on a college course right now never any wiser than she'd been in High school.

It was because of Kaoru that Misao had found a way to go back to school by taking correspondence courses from the local university under an assumed name. She'd never get a real diploma, but the knowledge counted for more in Misao's book.

Some people thought Life ended with Undeath, but not Misao. Her life hadn't begun until spat in Charon's eye and stubbornly clung to the trappings of mortal life. The only thing she had to regret was the people she'd left behind. Her grandfather had probably died of heartache, but Misao had never given into the impulse to check. She had enemies of her own who would love to know she had living relatives.

Yahiko was waiting in Tae's living room when she entered, curled around a copy of Moby dick.

Here was another one of Kaoru's children. Yahiko was a full human who'd been steeped in the supernatural world since he was a baby. His mother had been a witch and his father a werewolf, but he hadn't inherited either of their special natures. The only thing he had to boast of was improved reflexes and some second sight that came and went. Both of his parents had died when he was young and he'd hopped in and out of Foster Homes until he turned nine, got disgusted with the system, and turned ten on the streets.

The boy probably would have been another statistic if he hadn't discovered the abandoned Underground and a nifty little condemned station where two vampires made their nest. Kaoru had found him first, which was good for him since Misao would have just edited his memory and ditched him on the street without waiting for an explanation.

Kaoru's word was law and she said that he would say so Misao found herself with a little brother of sorts whether she wanted one or not.

"Hey, punk." She greeted him softly and sat down on the couch by his feet.

"Hey, Bitch." He replied and set down his book. "You look like crap." He observed.

"That's good, because I feel like crap." Misao told him. "Aside from that, I found Kaoru. She's laying low with a friend until her twenty-four hour Grace begins. After that it's all over."

Yahiko relaxed. "She's okay then?"

Misao nodded. "Yeah, she's safer where she is than she could ever be with us and for the moment…"

"We're safer without her." Yahiko scowled. "I know that. Is she still going to call on you to attend her?"

"Get real, brattling, who else is she going to call on, huh? She's got my blood, who else is the Grace going to recognize?" Misao snapped.

It was true. Misao was Kaoru's only sireling and she seriously doubted that she'd taken blood and done a full mind meld with anyone else. Well… maybe that hottie who'd answered the phone at the place she was staying, but that was beside the point.

The Grace was an ancient spell tied to the rituals of the Blood Council. Once someone was recognized as a full member, they came under the Grace. Once the Council bell rang on the day before the meeting took place the Council Members were Untouchable. This kept the day-to-day politics from interfering with Council Business and allowed the Members to cross borders without obstruction.

She'd stories of people who been killed by the Grace for threatening a Council Members and they still brought chills down her spine.

"I ran into some bad business on the way home." Misao told Yahiko. "Whoever he was, he pulled an old friend out of my head and wore his face so… look, if anyone you knew before comes up to you acting weird, run like hell, okay?"

"You know what they want?" Yahiko asked, looking pensive.

"Not a bleeding clue." Misao replied. "I don't think its Yukishiro's doing, the man's aura was too clean for that. I don't trust him though. Stay on you toes. I'm going downstairs so Tae can give me a haircut."

"He saw you?" Yahiko immediately cottoned on to what she hadn't said. Kaoru knew how to pick the smart ones.

Misao nodded. "Yeah so I guess I'm getting bangs out of this. You lie down, you look tired."

Yahiko nodded absently and picked his book back up. Misao stifled a chuckle. In about ten minutes he'd be out like a light. Yahiko was still in that 'drop wherever he happened to be' stage.

With a final fond glance at Yahiko's dark head bent over his book, Misao left the room and slid down the banister. Tsubame sat by the couch with a towel spread across her knees and a pair of scissors.

* * *

It was Kaoru who woke up to answer the phone. Kenshin murmured sleepily and reached for her without really waking up. Kaoru let him pull him back against her once she had the phone.

"Hello?"

Misao's voice came over the line for the second time that night, but this time her little sireling sounded worried. Kaoru stiffened a bit and frowned.

"Mii-love? Are you all right? Did something happen?" she asked softly.

Her child laughed weakly. "Yeah, something happened. I'm pretty sure it's unrelated to your problems, but it still not good. I'm not in trouble or anything, I just wanted to talk."

"I'm here sweetheart, I'm listening." Kaoru settled in for a good long talk. Misao didn't need them often, but when she did she was usually at critical mass. No matter what was going on in her own life, Kaoru could never begrudge her little surrogate daughter her time.

There was a pause before Misao started to speak. "After I got off the phone with you today I got followed on my way back to Akabeko. I figured he was just a regular hunter so I didn't pay him much mind. I went for the sewers, but he followed me. I mean he tore up a sewer grate like it was nothing and blew through some pipelines to follow me into the Underground. Then he did something… something that made him seem like a person I knew a long time ago." Misao's voice started to shake. "Kaoru, if I didn't know better I'd have almost believed him! He had Hanya down perfectly; his voice, his face, even his mannerisms. It was creepy!"

"Is your friend dead?" Kaoru asked. "It could have been a Doppleganger. They can call up a semblance of the deceased to fool you."

"No." Misao's voice was firm, but faltered as she continued. "I… I checked on Hanya not too long ago. He's fine."

Kaoru frowned. "Misao, we've discussed that…"

"I know! I know! I didn't see him or anything. I just rang his phone from a pay line. He answered it all normal and everything." Misao swore softly. "It's not even really that that's bothering me, it's that he got so far into my head without my knowing it!"

That bothered Kaoru as well. Misao's barriers were better than those of creatures three times her age. Even Kaoru couldn't breach them now. She would have said that nothing could violate Misao's mind without her at least noticing the intrusion.

"Are you sure you didn't feel anything?" Kaoru hated to press the question when her protégé was feeling so stressed, but she had to get to the bottom of it. The entire episode could have been a symptom of some deeper ill. "Maybe you were broadcasting?"

"No, I didn't feel anything and I wasn't broadcasting. If I'd thought about Hanya once this week then I'd have written it off as just that. No. I wasn't broadcasting."

Even worse. Unfortunately, Kaoru couldn't make a diagnosis over the phone. She'd need to examine Misao in person. Tae might not notice the problem, if indeed there was one. After a while, the Undead just stopped thinking like a normal human even in the most stable cases. It was early for any of that to be happening with Misao, but it wasn't unheard of.

"I want you to come here, Misao." Kaoru decided. "I'll send a ride for you. In fact, bring some clothes and your Court Garb. If Yukishiro has a hand in this then I'll feel better if you're where I can keep an eye on you."

"Uh… wouldn't I be in the way…?" Misao asked pointedly, but Kenshin reached up and took the phone.

Kaoru jumped guiltily. She hadn't known he was awake or that his hearing was keen enough to pick up both ends of the conversation. However he smiled at her.

"Do as she says, Misao. You won't be any trouble." He said. "Sanosuke will be by to pick you up. Be ready."

He handed the phone back to Kaoru and gave her a silent kiss. It wasn't as quiet as it could have been for Misao heard it and laughed.

"I'll be ready, but tell him not to rush. I'm in no hurry. Have fun, kiddies!" The line went dead in Kaoru's hand.

"That girl." She sighed and hung up the line. Kenshin tugged her down back beside him. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry about that; I should have asked you before I made that offer."

Kenshin shook his head. "No, it's all right. I understand. What do you think happened?"

Kaoru could only shrug. "Best case: he really is this 'Hanya'. Worst case: she's developed a brain tumor and is hallucinating."

"Is that possible?" Kenshin's eyes were bright and serious. Kaoru laughed at him.

"It's as likely as anything! It's best that I check her over as soon as possible though. If anything, I can calm her down." She snuggled in beside her lover and let her voice turn smoky. "Now… weren't we about to do something?"

"No," Kenshin's grin turned wicked, "but we can start anytime you like. After all, soon we won't have the place to ourselves anymore."

* * *


	6. Halftruths and Denial

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Six: Half-truths and Denial

* * *

Kenshin puttered about in the kitchen, deliberately giving Kaoru time with her daughter. He could heard them talking quietly in the living room so he decided it was time for him to make a re-entrance. He brought with him some glasses of orange juice, since Kaoru had told him that both she and Misao drank it for its nutritional qualities.

His lady and her young vampire were curled up on the couch. Misao still had her arms around Kaoru's waist and her head pillowed on the older Vampiress's shoulder. The scene was oddly touching for all that Misao was tricked out like a borderline goth model.

Kaoru accepted her drink with a smile that warmed him to the bone and Misao echoed it with one that would one day make some young vampire boy's knees shake. She was a lovely young girl and something about the sheer amount of energy contained in her small frame made her irresistibly adorable.

Kenshin had set out to win Kaoru's young protégé over just because wanted Kaoru as a permanent part of his life, but having met her he found that he'd have liked her anyway.

"I set up the guest room for your use." He told her. "There was a window, but certain events led to it being boarded up. I doubt you mind."

"No way," Misao laughed. "When I die I'm going to be in bed, three thousand years old, surrounded by homicidally protective grandkids, and richer than Bill Gates! Notice that sunlight doesn't factor into that equation."

Kaoru ran her fingers through Misao's bangs thoughtfully. "I like this haircut. It looks good on you, make you look polished."

"You think so?" Misao grinned to hide a little blush. "Tae did it."

"With Tsubame to supervise, no doubt, how many ideas did she veto before Tae came up with this one?"

"Twelve. Tae really wanted it short, but this made the illusion of short hair and let me keep my braid." Misao pulled back from Kaoru to touch the ends of her bangs. "I like it too. It's different. I kinda needed a change."

Kenshin knew exactly what she meant. His big change hadn't originated with himself… beyond the obvious. He'd moved all the way to London to purge himself of the vestiges of his old life. It hadn't worked very well, since his old life showed every sign of following him. Misao's past was doing the same and she was taking charge of one of the few things she had control over. He understood that all too well.

Misao stifled a yawn and stretched. "Oh boy! I'm beat. I better go get the bags before dawn comes around."

Kaoru nodded. "Dawn is almost upon us."

Neither of them looked at the windows or a clock. Kenshin supposed it was some sort of internal clock or a sixth sense concerning the sun. Daylight was so dangerous to them that he could believe that they'd cultivate any advantage they could get.

One thing was certain, storm shutters were going up on all his windows the moment he could have it done safely. He didn't want to have another incident like the one that had ended up with Kaoru in a stasis spell. He didn't want either of these women caught by dawn or anything else in his home ever again. Kaoru already meant far too much to him and he just didn't even want to think about anything happening to the spunky little girl he'd just barely gotten to meet.

..which brought him to his next train of thought and the individual bothering Misao. Yukishiro was enough already, but Kaoru assured him that the Grace would begin once the sun rose. Kenshin was still wary, but willing to concede that there was little the Junior Attendant could do. The man imitating Misao's childhood friend would have to either change his ways or find himself in several pieces scattered across London.

Just then blue light blossomed off in the corner of the living room. Kenshin was on his feet in a second, but it was gone before he could do more than inhale to cast a protective spell. The light left several pieces of unmarked luggage in its wake.

He cast a look at Misao. "Delivery service?" he asked skeptically and got a wicked grin for a reply.

Kenshin turned his attention back to the bags. He didn't even want to think about the kind of creature that could pass over his protections with impunity and would do so just to drop off some suitcases. He especially didn't want to think about how a little girl like Misao could convince it to do so.

One thing was for sure, things were going to be a bit more interesting from now on.

* * *

When Misao woke she knew the Grace had settled across the city even though she'd never experienced it for herself. It was an electric charge in the air. It was the feel of large something watching you, just beyond the edges of your sight.

The Grace was alive and watching everything. If Kaoru's stories were to believed, many people would turn up dead tomorrow from mysterious and messy means. There wouldn't be a mark on them, but each one would have been planning something in order to sabotage the Council Meeting. As if someone hadn't tried every year before them and had died just like they would.

Kaoru was now safer than any of her friends could make her. Anyone who so much as looked at her wrong would spontaneously combust on the street or experience a sudden inexplicable urge to walk out in front of a bus.

As she rose from the soft bed (miles of an improvement over the lumpy mattress in the Station and Tae's hard bunk beds) Misao heard smothered giggles coming from down the hall followed by a low moan. A soft blush colored her cheeks as she realized what must be going on in there.

After a moment's thought, she wrestled out of her night dress, changed into night clothes, slapped on some make-up, fixed her hair, and grabbed her book bag. On her way out, she paused by the Master Bedroom and called out, "I'm heading out for a bit! Don't wait up for me! I'll be back by three am!"

There was a muffled assent from Kaoru and Misao fled before she interrupted things any further. She knew when to make herself scarce.

The cool night teased the edges of Misao's coat as she jogged out onto the abandoned street. Once on the sidewalk, she relaxed into her 'street persona #2'. She wasn't dressed for #1, which involved a lot of not being noticed. #2 was built around a series of subtle nonverbal messages that read 'Don't Touch'.

Misao cocked her hips in that confident self-assured runway walk that models and the wives of Mob bosses used. She showed no fear and for a woman alone at night that meant to most that there was someone very powerful keeping an eye on her; someone who would take purse snatchings or attempted rape very _badly_.

'Mess with me and end up on the bottom of the Thames in chains and cement blocks.' Misao said it with her entire body and the look in her eyes. Now, none of the street trash needed to realize that she'd be the one doing the dirty work and not a rich boyfriend. It would happen either way.

There was a small coffee shop about two blocks away from Kenshin's apartment and a sign in the window declared it to be 'open 24/7'. Misao entered hesitantly, half expecting to find a poetry slam going on or a group of goth vampire wanna-bes reading sour free verse to each other. Instead she found a clean little parlor lined in richly designed rugs with big cushy couches lining the walls. There was a counter in the corner where a young university student worked the Graveyard shift and did her homework at the same time.

She gave Misao a once over and a friendly smile then fiddled with something under her counter. Soft instrumental music sprang up bringing a smile to Misao's face. She couldn't tell if it was pop or classical. It was some strange, but pleasant blend between.

"Can I help you?" the girl at the counter asked, thumb-marking her book in favor of Misao.

"You make a decent Café Latte?" Misao asked and the girl grinned.

"Baby stuff, give me a challenge next time!" she laughed. "Two quid and I'll bring it to you when it's done. Just pick a place and relax!"

"Thanks." Misao chose a place where the light was good, although it was muted all over the place. The seat was an old one-piece booth someone had ripped out of an upscale restaurant. The wood surface was chipped and scarred, but someone had refinished and restored it with a loving hand. Misao could practically feel the accumulated history of the piece thrumming up through her fingers as she laid out her school work.

From there on she delved into mathematics. She didn't even notice when the girl set her drink down by her elbow. Complex numbers took over her mind, but they weren't a welcome guest.

When she took a break to bang her head against the table, she found she'd acquired a tablemate. The man claiming to be Hanya had made his reappearance. He'd forgone the mask and trench coat tonight, or had ditched them outside. He'd scraped his black hair back into a short ponytail that Misao privately thought made him look like a pimp. The little goatee he'd cultivated didn't help the image much.

Misao eyed him coldly. "You're crossing a line here, buddy. Homework time is Misao time. You can mess with my head later, but I've got a math test due in two weeks that includes mail time. Piss off."

"I need to speak with you." Hanya-or-whoever-he-was said earnestly. "Please, just talk to me now and then you needn't ever see me again."

"I don't suppose you understand complex numbers then?" Misao sighed and idly clicked on her mechanical pencil. Unbeknownst to the Hanya-Impersonator, her spell chains writhed around her waist in agitation. She wanted to just strike out at him and have done, but he just didn't _feel_ evil. No matter how uncomfortable he made her feel, she just couldn't countenance attacking him until he proved himself hostile.

Hanya looked confused. "Yes… I majored in Math, but I fail to see how it relates."

"Look, buddy. You don't feed me, fuck me, or pay my bills. You're here impinging on my _study_ hour. My time does not come cheap. You're lucky you only have to help me with my homework." Misao told him shortly. "Usually I charge a lean against your soul so feel privileged or get lost."

The man frowned. "I wish you wouldn't use language like that. Your grandfather would _kill_ me if he heard you now." He peered over at her book. "Are you adding, subtracting, or multiplying?"

"Multiplying," Misao pointed out the series of example problems in her book. "I need to do this section. Starting with (23i)(4-6i), but I can't get these answers right for the life of me."

Hanya studied the problem for a moment. "Consider the problem like this…. He tore a piece of paper out of Misao's notebook and scribbled the statement down for her to see. "You multiply this like any statement. This problem would become: (8-12i) 12i - 3i²."

"I get that, but I can't figure out what to do with the i²! There's no i² in any of the answers in the key." Misao growled. "It should be just 'combining like terms' at this point except for that little bastard!"

That earned a laugh from the older man. "Well, bear in mind that i² -1. That would make your -3i² into 3. Now you can 'combine like terms'."

Misao's brow creased. "Okay… I can see that, but what about this one." She indicated one of the trickier questions near the end of the section. "3i(24i) ²? I worked that one earlier and ended up with and i³! Where does that work in?"

"Unlike i², i³ i. Then you're right back at 'combining like terms'." Hanya folded his arms on the table and watch Misao puzzle through a few of the problems, check them, and then sit up to look at him with an expression of amazement.

"They worked out…" a grin exploded across her face. "Yes! Thank you!" She lunged across the table and gave him a quick powerful hug that left the older man shocked. Misao fell back into her seat practically sizzling with excitement.

The fact that Hanya-impersonator was staring at her like she'd sprouted a second head dimmed Misao's excitement a bit. She scowled at him. "What are you staring at?" she asked defensively.

"Are you really the same Misao Makimachi?" he asked softly. "You've changed so much since I last saw you." His black eyes rested on her thoughtfully, sadly. He watched her exactly the way she'd have expected the real Hanya to.

Whoever he was, he was right. She had changed. The old Misao would never have hugged a stranger. The old Misao wouldn't have even been doing homework in the first place. She'd have been out somewhere in the cold with a cigarette and her grudge against the world in general to keep her warm. She had changed a lot and for the better from her point of view.

"Damn straight." She muttered. "I put a lot of effort into it too. It's not exactly easy to claw your way up from the bottom of the barrel and I had myself to work against."

"What happened to you, Misao?" Hanya's mouth twisted with pain and Misao saw his gloved hands spasm as if he wanted to clench them into fists, but didn't want to let her see him angry. He might as well have not bothered because she could see his aura spark and sizzle with suppressed irritation. "Why did you leave us to become a vampire? You were such a good kid, when did that change? Was it us?"

Misao's good mood burnt off like dew under the morning sun. Her mouth narrowed into an angry little line. "Look, buddy… let's just _pretend_ for a moment that you are who you say you are and that I owe you an explanation, which really I _don't_. I didn't choose this life because I _wanted_ to stay indoors all day and _kill_ people to survive. It was either this or something a hell of a lot worse. You don't know a _fucking_ thing about what I've been through. How _dare_ you sit there and judge me!"

She slammed her book shut. "Furthermore, I've made a good life for myself! Despite everything I'm putting myself through school and for once I'm actually proud of myself! For the first time in my life when I look in the mirror I like who I see! I could never have done that back at home with you and the others!" Her fangs glittered in the dim light as she spoke to him in a low deadly voice. "You want to know what went wrong? Yeah, I was I was great kid! I was really good at it too. So good in fact that I never wanted to quit! That was apparently okay with you guys! The Vampiress who changed me didn't put up with that crap. She gave me a good swift kick in the rear and reinforced it anytime I needed it."

When she heard how her voice was rising, Misao clamped her jaw shut and forced herself to calm down. When she felt she could speak without screaming, she continued. "My Sire made me do a lot of growing up, which I wouldn't have done on my own. I hated it at the time, but now I'm grateful to her. Even with my… condition, I'm happy with my life now. I had to give up a lot and that makes me sad, but all you guys are mortal and I'd have lost you eventually anyway. I'd just as soon you lived longer without me."

Misao turned her face away from her audience. She let her hair slide over her face to hide her blazing cheeks. Inside she felt curiously light, as though she'd set down a heavy burden that she'd been carrying so long that she'd learned to ignore the weight. She'd purged that old pain, spoken it out loud, and made it real. Somehow… she felt better.

"That doesn't really matter to you, since you're not really Hanya. So why don't you tell me the real reason you've been following me around, huh?" Misao turned back to face him. "Tell me. After that you owe me the truth."

"How can I tell you the truth, Mii-love?" he told her. Sorrow echoed through every nuance of his tone. "You've already told me that you don't want to hear it. Why do you refuse to believe who I really am?"

"Because if you are really Hanya, then that means the only person I ever really trusted lied to me for my entire life. Hanya told me that he was human, but you're not. You never were. There's nothing mortal in your aura. You may be young, but you've got the capability to live longer than me. If you really are Hanya then that means I never really knew you at all and my past is an even bigger lie than I thought it was."

Hanya bowed his head. "I am sorry, Misao." He slid out of his seat and made a regal bow to her. "If that is the case then nothing I can do will ever make up for it. I'll take my leave now." He reached into his coat pocket and brought out a business card. There were a few numbers printed on it, but no names. "Take that and if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call. Even if we can't be a family anymore, I will still be there for you when ever you need me."

Misao accepted the card with a semi-amused snort. "You're a ham, you know that? I'll keep it mind though." She pocketed the card and grinned at the way Hanya's nostrils flared with indignation. "_Aww_, did I spoil the moment? Sorry. Come on, sit back down. I'm not done with you yet."

He regarded her with something akin to awe, but let her pull him back into the booth.

"You take yourself far too seriously, you know that? It's against the Laws, so quit." she told him. "At the moment, I don't care _who_ you are. You can explain my math so I'm not letting you get away!"

"The Laws?" Hanya echoed her. "What Laws?"

"The Laws of Misao Makimachi, there are just three and they improve your health, promote happiness, and prevent cancer." Misao informed him seriously. "Rule One: always take the job seriously. Rule Two: always take people seriously. Rule Three: _Never_ take yourself seriously. Now, I need help with this problem here…"

* * *


	7. The Grace Bell

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Seven: The Grace Bell

* * *

The Grace Bell was older than human history. Superstition had it that the Bell had once been something different, an Ancient Artifact, recast into the shape of a bell to smuggle it into the age of reason. Whatever it was, the Grace Bell was the root of the spell that the Blood Council had entrusted its safety to for millennia.

The Bell was guarded by a single immortal creature known only as the Keeper. No one knew who or what the Keeper was, but it was as old as the Grace Bell. The few fortunate… or perhaps unfortunate enough to actually see the Keeper in person described it as a vaguely humanoid figure in a long white cape and cowl which in some accounts was tattered and bloodstained.

The Grace Bell rang twice very fifty years when the Blood Council met to discuss new laws for the Vampire people and mediate disputes between the many City Masters who did the year-to-year business of overseeing their race. It rang once twenty-four hours before the Council met, awaking the Grace and allowing the Council Members to cross borders and enter London without fear. Twenty-four hours after Council adjourned it rang once more to send the Grace back into slumber until it was needed again.

Historically, the Bell had been rung for reasons other than Council Meetings. The World Wars had been such occasions, when the Council Members had cause to fear from outside influences. The Bell rang often during the Dark Ages when the Hunts and Burnings had still been commonplace.

Few people knew where the Bell was actually located. Hardly anyone wanted to know. Old Creations like the Grace had ways of protecting themselves beyond their Guardians. Actually, the Bell was located deep underground in the subterranean caverns beneath Buckingham Palace.

As the sun set, a crooked being in torn and bloodied robes crawled through the complex series of tunnels where it had spent its existence. It had no name and no purpose except to protect its Bell and ring it when the time came.

Intruders had invaded its home and overwhelmed it. The Keeper had escaped, but at the cost of abandoning its Post. Now it made its dogged way, despite the many wounds that dripped black ichor from its limbs, to the place where the Council would meet.

The Keeper had failed its duty and the Council had to be warned before irreparable damage occurred.

As night eased over the city of London, a lone bell tone rang out over the city sending a chill of fear through the only creature who could hear it.

* * *

Kenshin waited in the living room with growing impatience as he waited for Kaoru and Misao to change into their 'Court Garb'.

He'd been dressed and ready to go for over half and hour. His 'costume' was simple and elegant. He wore his black leather duster over a pair of dark blue leather pants and a white silk shirt. Winter Moon and his black boots completed the ensemble. Kaoru had okay-ed him to go. There was a .45 Smith and Wesson hidden under his arm. He didn't think he'd need it, but Kaoru had insisted.

Whatever Kaoru was wearing, Kenshin hadn't gotten more than a peek at it in the garment before she shooed him out of the bedroom. Misao had stayed, because it apparently required a second pair of hands to put on.

"All right, we're ready!" Kaoru's silky voice brought Kenshin out of his reverie with a start. Then he couldn't stop staring.

Kaoru wore a floor length dress made up of layers upon layers of blue gauze. The hues ranged from a blue so dark it was nearly black, to a sapphire gem-tone that matched her eyes perfectly, to the palest ice blue imaginable. Sparkles laced through the garment at random intervals that concentrated around the hems of her gown and her bust.

Her inky black hair had been wound up in the back and fixed in place with two curly silver sticks that had sapphire pendants dangling from the ends. All her jewelry was done in silver and sapphire, from the elegant drops in her ears to the spectacular collar piece that dipped down low between her breasts.

A slit in her skirt revealed tantalizing glimpse of her long sleek legs and the silver sandals on her feet with jeweled thongs that wound all the way up to her knees.

Misao was a dark blue shadow by her side. Her costume was deliberately calculated to enhance Kaoru's, but could easily stand out on its own. The predominating color in her garb was the same midnight blue as her eyes, garnished with black and dark silver accents. She wore a duster like Kenshin's over a dark blue body suit. Silver chains had been wrapped around her hips like a belt, although they weren't supporting anything.

He knew that coat concealed any number of deadly little surprises; spells bound to little slips of paper for quick casting, throwing knives made of silver and wood, vials of magically enhanced poisons and acids, there was a short sword sheathed up her spine, and a garrote hidden in each sleeve.

"Close your mouth, Himura." Misao catcalled. "I know you've never seen such stunning examples of female beauty, but there's no need to stare!"

Kenshin favored her with a glare, which rolled right off her back. "Are we ready to go?" he asked his girls and they nodded. "I'll go start up the car…" he turned towards the elevator, but Kaoru's hand on his sleeve stopped him.

"Oh no, Kenshin, you can't get to the Council Hall by physical means. I'll be handling the transportation tonight. You'll have to trust me." She slid her arms around his neck in much the same way she had that night when they'd first met.

Misao went around behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't take it the wrong way, Himura. You'll need our presence between the worlds. You aren't used to traveling that way." She adjusted her grip on him and nodded to Kaoru over his shoulder.

"Brace yourself, Darling." Kaoru's warning half a second too late. The world blinked out like a television set someone had just turned off. It was colder and darker than anything he'd ever experienced in his entire life, but just before the cold started to cut into him the lights came back on and they were standing in the ostentatious foyer of what seemed to be a castle.

"What the _hell_ was that!?" he gasped while clinging to Kaoru in an attempt to leech some of the heat of her body. He felt too cold… like he'd never be warm again. Misao pressed into him from behind and they stood there for a long time until he stopped shaking.

"I'm so sorry, Darling! There wasn't any choice and no way to prepare you for it." Kaoru told him when she and Misao could finally let go. "That was what my people call the Shadow Realm. It's the emptiness between the worlds where even the Beings of Ether cannot go. Only creatures of Darkness can walk there with impunity. You are very much a creature of the Light so both Misao and myself had to pull you through quickly before it absorbed you."

Kenshin carefully straightened his clothes and checked to make sure he hadn't lost anything. If he had he had no idea how he was going to get it back.

The foyer was elegantly appointed with the colors leaning towards the dark gem tones. There was a pair of great double doors directly across from them, guarded by a hunchbacked man in a tuxedo.

Kaoru led their little party to the doors and paused by him. "Hello, Renfield." She said warmly, eliciting a blazing smile from the little man.

"Greetings, Mistress Kaoru." He slurred his vowels and drew out his sibilants, sounding exactly like the screen version of his namesake. There was a glint in his heavy eyes that led Kenshin to believe he was doing it on purpose and a second later his suspicions were confirmed as Renfield continued in a cultured oxford accent. "I don't believe I recognize your party. May I have their names for announcement?"

"The young lady is my sireling, Misao Makimachi and the gentleman is my consort, Kenshin Himura. They've agreed to be my attendants for the evening." Kaoru nodded to each in turn.

Renfield's single weighty eyebrow rose in surprise. "Very good, Mistress, and might I add, about damn time. Your father will be ecstatic that you're finally taking your responsibility to your family seriously."

Kaoru snorted. "Hardly likely, my 'family' has very little to do with it. Announce us, Renfield. We might as well get it over with." A smile touched her mouth right about the same time one appeared on Renfield's dour face. "Smile and show your teeth." They said at once and laughed.

The hunchback turned into the doors and touched a panel on the wall. The Doors opened inward without a whisper of sound to reveal a humongous ballroom inside. Vampires whirled through the old dances within in costumes of every hue and shade. Wings and horns were the most normal accessories that Kenshin could identify. Some wore exaggerated and exotically colored genitalia outside their clothes and others wore nothing at all.

"Now announcing the entrance of Councilwoman Kamiya Kaoru-sama of Edo, Japan!" Renfield's voice boomed across the room, giving every inhabitant cause to pause and turn their attention to the doors. "Her Consort, Himura Kenshin of the Drakenwere stands at her left and Misao Makimachi _sir_ Kamiya stands at her right."

Kenshin almost stared at the little man, but Kaoru gently pulled him ahead with her as she descended into the milling mass of creatures. She held her head high and looked down on the crowd as would a Queen. Misao moved at her right as silent as a shadow, but very much alive and extruding danger from every angle.

"Relax, Kenshin." Kaoru counseled him softly from his left. "Just… look at them like they're a particularly exotic species of bug. They can hurt you and couldn't even if the Grace wasn't breathing down their necks. Just relax, this is just the Party. We'll mingle for a while and get reacquainted all around before we get down to business."

"How did he know what I am?" he hissed back.

"Everyone in this room knows what you are, Darling." Kaoru sighed. "I know you've been trying to be discrete, but your power draws them like fruit draws flies. You aren't a vampire and you aren't an Ethereal Being so that leaves the Weres and only one kind of were-creature has your kind of power."

"So you always knew?" he asked as they neared the bottom of the stairs. "Is that why you sponsored me?"

"Yes." She said shortly. "You could have done great damage if left without guidance. That would have hurt you as much as the people of London. Besides, I was hardly going to let such a handsome man go by without introducing myself." A touch of heat flared in Kaoru's blue eyes, warming Kenshin and making him feel better about the entire mess.

He turned his attention back to the ballroom, which had adjusted to their presence and was whirling back into their dances, drinking, and cavorting. He noticed a side board off to one side of the room that practically groaned beneath the weight of the edibles arranged on top of it. There was a larger selection of beverages than a similar event would have warranted, but Kenshin decided that that more to do with the amount of Vampires in the room.

"Is everyone here a member of the Council?" Kenshin asked Misao. Kaoru was busy meeting and greeting so many different people that Kenshin just quit trying to keep track of them all.

"No way," Misao whispered back. "Most of these losers are hangers on. The Council is kind of the Social Event of the century since it only happens twice every hundred years so no one wants to miss a thing. Problem is that they all get so drunk and high that they usually don't wake up until the day after. So once the Council starts, all these guys are going to get tossed out so that the Council Members can do their business in peace. There will be a general announcement in about a week, detailing what everyone missed."

"So this is just an excuse to party?" Kenshin guessed.

Misao nodded. "Basically."

* * *


	8. The End Has Come

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Chapter Eight: The End Has Come

* * *

Misao's chains created a bloody little sphere of death around her small form. She bore many bleeding wounds that would require attention soon lest they go septic. The pile of carnage around her grew with no signs of stopping.

"Back the fuck off!" she screamed at a ghoul before tearing its head off like all the others.

"Misao!"

She heard the sound of her name over the keening of the ghouls. Misao turned to see who was calling her. It didn't sound like Kenshin or Hanya, but the voice was male. It came again with an edge of desperation.

"MISAO!"

Then she glimpsed him through the wall of bodies. Aoshi was tearing his way through ghouls with a short blade in each hand. His eyes blazed in the dim light as he bellowed her name over and over again.

"I'm here!" it came out without conscious effort on her part. She'd been answering to Aoshi all her life, the habit was ingrained by now and hadn't faded with time.

Unerringly he turned towards her and upon catching sight of her forged through in her direction. He kept his eyes trained on her and because of that ghouls began to slip underneath his guard.

Misao swore vilely and started towards him. The bloody fool was going to get himself killed trying to reach her. She slipped a hand into her coat and came up with one of her fire papers. She spoke the activation phrase and threw it at the ghouls in between her and Aoshi.

The paper exploded into a massive fireball that utterly consumed the monsters unfortunate enough to get caught in it. Misao leapt into the clear spot it left behind and raced towards the idiot.

Despite the fact that he was still surrounded, Aoshi focused on her and grimly fought his way towards her. The back of Misao's neck tingled, but before she could turn to dissect the ghoul taking advantage of her run he broke through his opponents and gutted it… leaving his back completely vulnerable.

Misao saw the claws reaching for his dark shoulders the teeth aimed for the back his neck and snapped. Her chains cleaved through flesh and bone without mercy, creating a zone of death around her and Aoshi.

She felt Aoshi's eyes on her, but before she could look she felt his back line up against hers. His spine felt warm and wonderfully solid against her shoulders. The ghouls kept coming, but Misao couldn't feel afraid.

Suddenly the ghouls around them scattered and Kenshin appeared before her still in his dragon shape. The only difference was that Kaoru was perched on top of his head gripping his red mane for stability. Her beautiful gown was torn and bloody, but she had a huge grin on her face.

"Nice to see you two are getting along!" she called down to Misao. Shadows eddied in her hands and spilled down to pool around Misao and Aoshi, holding off the remaining ghouls long enough for Kaoru to speak to them. "We've closed the Rift they were using to get into the council hall! There are only six of the Council left, myself included. Once we clean out the antechamber, regroup in the Council Chamber!"

"Right!" Once the dome of shadows fell away, Misao and Aoshi were besieged again, but there were fewer ghouls now.

Kenshin and Kaoru accounted for most of the monsters remaining and Saitou stepped in with another one of his light spells.

The Oniwabanshuu converged around Aoshi from all points in the room. They were tattered and bleeding, but all intact. Misao used the distraction the represented to slip away and hunt down a first aid kit.

* * *

The Keeper arrived into a disaster scene.

I had been too late.

The Council Hall was strewn with the torn and charred bodies of ghouls. The intruder had brought ghouls with him, controlling them through some foul method. This had been his work, the Keeper knew.

However, there was some kind of hope. It would never have been able to enter the Hall if the Council didn't have some surviving members. It could smell the fragrance of their Oaths on the air mixed in with the coppery tang of blood and the fetid stench of ghoul spoor.

There were still enough of them to stop the Intruder from destroying the Grace.

* * *


	9. Epilogue

**Grace**

_A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction_

By the Dragon's Daughter

Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.

Rating: R for language and violence

Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg

Epilogue

Kaoru sat in the middle of Kenshin's living room surrounded by wrapped boxes, tubes of gaily patterned wrapping paper, and gifts that still need to be tended to. Misao was at the kitchen counter sorting through an impressive stack of greeting cards.

She divided them into two piles as she went: Christmas cards and Wedding RSVPs.

"Hey, Saitou actually sent you a Christmas Card this year! His wife must have copied the address off the Wedding Invitation!" Misao called over her shoulder. She held up the plain white envelope, clearly labeled in Tokio's flowing script.

"Ten to one the RSVP is in her handwriting too." Kaoru chuckled as she wrestled around a flimsy clothing box holding Yahiko's Christmas clothes into a bright green gift bag and stuffed it with tissue paper to keep the gift inside safe from prying eyes. As she worked, the light flashed on the blue stone on her left hand.

She paused to look at it fondly, making Misao roll her eyes.

"You've had that thing for a month. One would think you'd be used to it by now." She sighed.

"I'll never get used to it." Kaoru corrected Misao, "nor will you when Aoshi finally finds a ring to suit his standards."

Misao glared at her Sire. "For the last time, he is not going to propose! We aren't even dating!"

"No, you're shacked up with him." Kaoru allowed. "You kind of skipped the dating period, but I can see why he'd worry. Yes, he is going to propose the moment he and Hanya decide whether you deserve Diamonds or garnets."

"They are not." Misao said through gritted teeth although she was trying to convince herself more than anyone. Just then, her pocket began to play a tune. With a sigh Misao dug out her cell phone and turned it on. "Hello, Aoshi…"

Kaoru snickered, but quailed under the glare Misao leveled on her.

"Yeah, I'm still at Kaoru's. I'm sorting through her RSVPS for her while she wraps stuff…no, I'll be home before sun rise, you don't have to come get me…. I said I'm fine! Oh, have it your way. See you then… bye. Yeah, me too." she hung up the phone and favored her Sire with another glare. "Not a word." She warned.

"Who, me?" Kaoru blinked at her innocently. "How is Yahiko adjusting to living at Tae's place?" she asked, directing them to a safer topic.

"He's cool with it, as he says. It's closer to his school anyway and I'm happy because Tsubame knows when he plans to skip before he even decides to do it. Load off my mind!" Misao laughed. "Hey, is that Ice-bitch still trying to sue Kenshin for damages because of that stupid wedding contract?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No. It was the strangest thing. Kenshin told me that a long lost relative of hers turned up dead. They made a killing off his insurance policy. Although why they kept up the premium is beyond me. She let the matter go after that."

"Bitch," Misao muttered, "trying to take advantage of Himura like that."

"Oh don't be cruel, she has some honor. She even gave Kenshin his ring back." Kaoru felt odd defending Tomoe, but it was the truth.

"Is that it?" The leery look Misao gave the ring on Kaoru's hand made her laugh.

"Oh no, not that gaudy rock! I gave it to her and told her to sell it. I certainly never want to see it again. It was essentially as many diamonds as one could fit onto a ring without it becoming a bracelet!" She favored her ring with a fond glance. It was a elegant little number done in silver and sapphire. It wasn't nearly as costly or as pretentious as Tomoe's, but on the inside Kenshin had inscribed 'aishiteru' in his own handwriting. In her book, this ring meant far more.

Misao shook her head as Kaoru got that foolish 'woman-in-love' look on her face again. When she showed no signs of coming out of it, Misao turned back to the stacks of cards.

It was funny, but a month earlier the most they'd had to look forward to was some peace and quiet before the same old mess started over again. Misao's hands still among the stack of paper as she gently touched her bare ring finger and contemplated Kaoru's words.

A lot had changed. A lot was going to change.

Somehow that was finally okay. With a smile, Misao returned to sorting letters. Maybe Aoshi was planning to propose. Maybe.

She didn't have to make it easy for him though.

* * *


End file.
